On Sept. 14, Ottawa welcomed indie singer Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier. He had travelled around Ottawa, marvelling on Instagram how beautiful and picturesque the city was. The next day, the crowd marvelled at the beauty of his music, lyrics and soul at his concert for the CityFolk Festival in Lansdowne.
As the stage lights illuminated the instruments on stage and he and his band walked on, the crowd’s excitement reached a peak. The energy was tangible. The crowd’s enthusiasm lasted for the entire performance and during some songs only got more intense.
He began the show with “Nina Cried Power,” the titular hit song on his new EP. This is the first bit of new music he has released since his self-titled debut album in 2014, and the crowd was ecstatic to hear it. The track pays homage to social justice activists and is accompanied by Mavis Staples. Steadfast fans in the audience were singing along, and even fans who hadn’t heard the new song were still able to connect with its meaning, and, as the title suggests, feel the song’s power. He followed this triumph with many of his most popular songs, including “Angel of Small Death” and the “Codeine Scene,” “To Be Alone,” “Take Me to Church,” and another song off the new EP, “Shrike.”
“You sound amazing. I’ve never had a crowd sing like that before,” Hozier said as the crowd sang along to his song.
Hozier debuted an unreleased song from his upcoming album as he was wrapping up the set. “Titled Movement” was a crowd favourite with its slow rhythmic beat, powerful harmonies, and stand-alone lyrics.
Hozier expressed that the concert would not be as brilliant as it was without the incredible talents of the band and singers. Hozier continued to express his gratitude to all who came, those on stage with him, and all those who helped the performance be what it was.
Hozier’s music has an ability to make us reflect as individuals while also making us come together as a collective. This is precisely what happened on Saturday. His music does not appeal to a specific audience, rather anyone and everyone can connect to the deep meanings he communicates through his songs, and there was an almost tangible understanding of that during the concert.
Ottawa was the kick-off concert on his North American tour. He will continue to release new music throughout the course of the tour and is set to perform in other Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
Photo by Jasmine Foong
